Seven Days
by RandomWriter57
Summary: On a bright summer day, Nanase Haruka accidentally asks out newcomer Tachibana Makoto, who is famed to go out with anyone who asks him for only a week. This is their seven days.
1. Monday

Hi guys! It comes to my attention that I've never posted a Free! fic on here, even though I've posted a few on my AO3 account (I'm under the same name on it!). Anyway, I hope it goes down well here too!

So this is a thing I decided to do for some reason after reading the manga Seven Days by Tachibana Venio and Takarai Rihito (please support their manga if you can find it anywhere it's wonderful).

This piece is based on the source material but I have tried to change things to better fit the pairing. Please be gentle with your comments!

I hope you enjoy this piece! Have a great week!

~Random

* * *

'_If you're male, liking someone would imply looking at her face first, followed by her legs, and then her chest, I guess.'_

Haru spins the pencil in his hand, watching it curl around each of his fingers. In the background, he hears his classmates chatting, unaware of the thoughts going through his mind. They're probably ignoring him completely, not caring what he's doing. But that's how Haru likes it.

He turns his head to the window, looking out to the trees and the courtyard and wishing he was outside instead of stuck in this classroom where no work was being done anyway. By chance he notices some girls looking up at the window. Faceless, they smile and wave upwards. Haru checks - there's no one behind him - before giving a small wave back to the girls. They giggle amongst themselves, their skirts brushing against their bare thighs in the summer breeze.

'_What else is there to love?'_

Head on his palm now, Haru lets his focus drop, staring vacantly ahead. He twirls the pencil once more.

'_It's human nature to judge by appearance. It's not just males who are superficial. No one bothers with the things they cannot see. Like the heart…'_

Those girls outside are just like the others, he is sure. They like his face - it's cute, they say, or even beautiful - but they wouldn't like him as a person. Don't like him as a person. Not many people do.

Haru stops twirling the pencil, lets out a silent yawn. And then suddenly-

"Ah!" he lets out an exclamation as something hits the back of his head. He puts his hand over the injury.

"I can't believe you sometimes, Nanase," the perpetrator says, and Haru recognises him immediately. A raised eyebrow meets him when he looks up, accompanied by unamused red eyes. "Yawning aloud like that."

"What?" Haru says, letting his hand fall.

"Doing unrefined things like that with your face, no wonder you can't get a girlfriend!" Rin puts his hands on his hips. "It's about time you got conscious of things like that and did something about them."

Haru turns away, head back on his hand. '_This guy's such a bother…_' Maybe he'll go away if he ignores him.

"Don't ignore me!"

'_Crap.'_

Rin leans against the desk behind him, sighing. "You never listen to advice when it's given to you. Don't you want a girlfriend?"

Haru rolls his eyes. What would he give for Rin to give up trying to get him a girlfriend that he doesn't even want, or even for him to stop bothering him about unnecessary things. Rin is silent, but he doesn't leave, so Haru answers. "Too much effort."

"And this is why girls don't like your personality. If you would just put in some effort - it's not as though there aren't a hundred girls wanting to confess to you right now! You could get any of them, and you still don't give a damn." Rin scoffs, possibly bitter.

"They all assume things," Haru says, turning in his seat to face Rin. The redhead looks down at him, waiting for more. "They'll be disappointed." '_And it's not like I'm interested, anyway.'_

Rin lets out a breath. "Well, you're right there. In your case, you're so different to how you look, it's practically fraud." His eyes become vacant, and quietly he adds, "I always think you look beautiful when you're swimming, even though I know what you're really like. How should I put this?" His volume increases and he looks to Haru. "You're like a dolphin when you swim - it's like you're meant to be in the water."

This doesn't surprise Haru - he's always been told that, and it's not like he disagrees. He feels at home in the water, so isn't he meant to be there?

"And then there's that face of yours, which makes you seem like the handsome prince these naive girls fantasise about," Rin says, nodding to himself. "It's your eyes, probably."

'_Geez, how long is that going to follow me for?'_ Haru asks himself, looking away from Rin again.

Even though his school is a normal public school, the girls all seem to think there may be a prince waiting for them somewhere. It's as though they've been sheltered all their lives, although perhaps it's because some came from all-girl middle schools. Or they've been reading too much shoujo manga. Obviously it's impossible for them to ever find any guy like that here, Haru thinks as one of his classmates ties their friend's shoelace to the chair leg without them realising it.

"You're more realistic than the girls here," Haru mutters.

"Oh? So you'd rather go out with me than any of the girls in our school?" Rin says, raising his eyebrow.

Haru looks at Rin for a second. "Sure, why not."

Rin pauses for a moment before shaking his head. "No way, agreeing so lightly…"

Before Haru can answer, a classmate - Yamazaki Sousuke - comes up to them holding a piece of paper. "Oi, we're ordering pizza. Want any?"

Rin grins and takes the menu. "Nice one! What to get…"

Yamazaki smiles for a second at Rin before turning to Haru. "Want anything?"

"Mackerel pizza," says Haru without missing a beat.

The two look at him with the same deadpan expression, but when he points it out on the menu, Yamazaki writes his order down too.

Whilst Rin decides on his order, Haru looks across the classroom. A girl is standing by the window, looking morose as her friend pats her on the back.

"Tachibana-kun's not here yet."

"I guess he's not coming to school today."

The girl turns to her friend, frowning. "But what if he's down with the flu?!"

Her friend shrugs. "There isn't anything we can do. I'm sure he's alright, though."

"It seems like Tachibana-kun hasn't shown up today," Yamazaki says, blocking the girl's reply from Haru's hearing.

"Tachibana? The new transfer student?" Rin asks, looking up from his phone.

"He's not exactly new, he's been here since April," Yamazaki says. "Anyway, isn't he in the swimming club?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't really come to practice."

Haru looks back out of the window. He doesn't understand people who join a club but never attend - what's the point in being a part of the club then? And why would anyone want to skip out on swimming anyway?

Rin looks over to the girls, and then lets out a soft gasp. "Oh, I see. It's Monday today, isn't it?"

Yamazaki nods. "Yeah. The day he'll definitely say 'yes'."

Even Haru knows the rumours about Tachibana Makoto. Apparently every Monday he accepts a different girl's confession, dates them until the Sunday of that week, and then they break up, only for him to get a new girlfriend the next day.

"At the end of the week, he'll tell his partner exactly this: 'I couldn't fall in love with you. Let's break up.'"

Haru looks over to Rin, wondering when he got to know this much about the transfer student.

"Ah, that reminds me," Yamazaki says. "Your sister went out with him, didn't she?"

Rin doesn't look particularly pleased when he answers, "Yeah, for a week in May. He broke up with her on the Sunday, but she didn't mind, really."

"What?"

"She said one week was long enough for a dream." That is the only explanation Rin offers.

Yamazaki sighs. "Well anyhow, normal guys like us will never understand people like that. What's that guy like, anyway?"

Haru stands up, attracting the attention of his companions. "A handsome guy." He starts walking towards the door.

Rin's face becomes deadpan. "That…you can tell that just by looking at him. Where are you going, anyway?"

Haru looks back at them, then throws his pencil, a perfect arc which lands in Rin's outstretched hand. "Someone's got to get the pizzas, right?"

"They're delivering it to the front of the school," Yamazaki says. "Thanks, Nanase."

Haru gives him a small nod before heading out of the room.

* * *

By the time he gets outside, he is relieved to feel the fresh air against his skin, much cooler than the stifling classroom. He sits against a wall at the front of the school, letting his mind wander whilst listening for the sound of a car.

He's never had much interest in Tachibana Makoto before today (except for curiosity when he joined the swim club, although that didn't last long, since he never shows up), but he can't help but wonder what kind of a person he is. To have a different girlfriend every week without pause…he can't help but feel that it's indecent.

The sound of a car brings him back to reality, and he watches as a convertible sweeps to a halt in front of the school.

'_That's not the pizza man,'_ Haru thinks, but he watches as the passenger gets out of the car, saying something to his driver, frowning. The driver - _do they have pink hair?_ \- says something back, laughs, and the passenger cracks a smile. He stands back a little and looks up. Their eyes meet.

'_Oh.'_

The car drives away, leaving nothing between Haru and the student, who is standing next to him before he even realises he had moved.

"Good morning," Tachibana Makoto says.

"Morning." Haru doesn't look at Tachibana, knows he won't be able to look away, because that face always causes a stir, always makes him immensely popular with the students. He wonders absently if anyone has confessed to him yet. By this time at the start of the week, someone probably has, and tens more are planning to. Not that they'll get a chance; after the first has confessed, she will certainly be chosen.

"So, what are you doing here?" Tachibana asks, not used to silence. "You have class now, right?"

"Waiting for pizza," Haru says, then adds, "We're in a study period."

"Ah, I see."

Even though he puts such an abrupt end to every relationship, Tachibana's popularity never drops. Haru has heard it's because he does everything his partner wants in the week they are going out. He's faithful to each person, making their one week special. '_No wonder they wait so anxiously for him…'_

"Have you been confessed to yet?" Haru asks before he can stop the words from coming out.

Tachibana looks at him with wide eyes before smiling and shaking his head. "No, not yet. I have to say though, I didn't think my dating habits were that well-known."

Haru shrugs. "The girls always talk about it. They say you'll take anyone, even if they're not your type."

"My type?" Tachibana laughs. "You wouldn't know if someone's your type just by looking at their face, would you? What I'm saying is, I don't really have a type."

Haru looks out to the empty horizon, doesn't really care much about what 'Tachibana's type' could be, until-

"But if they mean by looks, I like your face," Tachibana says as though his words mean nothing. "So if that's what they mean by 'type', I might have one."

Haru's head turns back to Tachibana, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion - what sort of a thing is that to say to your male classmate? Although they are in different classes, but it's all the same.

Tachibana is smiling, a relaxed grin paired with shimmering green eyes, and Haru is hit by a sudden impulse, a sudden feeling of curiosity that he can't help but let out.

"Then how about it?"

Tachibana's smile falls into a questioning face. "What do you mean?"

"…Go out with me?"

Surprise fills Tachibana's face, but the breeze and the sound of a car take away his reply.

The car - a much more modest model - stops in front of the school and a delivery person steps out with three pizza boxes. "Are you the representative from class 3-2?"

Haru stands and reaches into his pocket before realising he has left his wallet in his bag. Before he can ask the delivery man to wait whilst he gets it, however, he realises that Tachibana is already paying for the pizzas.

"You didn't have to," Haru says once the delivery guy has left.

"It's fine," Tachibana says, smiling. "You should get going, before your pizza gets cold."

Haru takes the offered pizzas. "I'll pay you back later."

"Don't worry about it! Anyway, I'd better go. I'll see you later!" Tachibana turns and walks away, leaving Haru alone in the courtyard.

'"_It's okay?" Well, I'll have to find out which is his class later, I guess…'_

* * *

"Yo, Nanase." Rin stands next to him in the shoe locker room, having already changed into his outdoor shoes. "Wanna drop by HMV on the way home?"

"Sure," Haru says, putting his indoor shoes into the locker. Something nags his mind, telling him he has forgotten something, but he can't put his finger on it…

"Oi, look," Rin says, pointing to the door. Leaning against the frame is Tachibana, waving cheerfully at him.

Haru blinks before walking over to him, reaching into his pocket at the same time for that which he had put there earlier, in case he had a chance to give it to him. "Hey, sorry about earlier." He holds out the three-thousand Yen to Tachibana, who takes it reluctantly.

"That's fine. I didn't realise you were in 3-2," he says, looking up at the sign above the room. "I'm in 3-3."

Haru hums, not really listening because Tachibana is closer now than he was before, but then in the next second, he has moved back, and Haru doesn't have time to comprehend it before Tachibana says something.

"I was wondering if we could go home together today." He smiles, but then gasps and adds, "Unless you have something on!"

Haru stares at Tachibana for a second. "…Practice?"

"Ah…" Tachibana looks away and scratches the back of his neck.

"You have talent for swimming. It'll go to waste if you keep skipping practice." Haru frowns at Tachibana.

"Yeah," Tachibana says. "Ah, by the way, do you have a mobile phone?"

'_Don't try to change the subject,'_ Haru thinks, but instead he nods. "Why?"

"I was hoping we could exchange numbers and email addresses." Tachibana says, eyes glimmering with hope.

'_Was he always the type of person who'd go out of their way to make friends with others?'_

Haru takes out his phone, navigating it to the contacts page.

"Ah, we have the same model!" Tachibana says, holding up his phone - which is indeed the same, although his is green whilst Haru's is blue. He opens it and clicks a few times before typing. "Na-na-se - ah, your given name is 'Haruka', right?"

Haru nods.

"Oh wow, your name's girlish too?" Tachibana says, not noticing Haru's grimace at the term. "A lot of my friends have unusual names, Kisumi too…" he trails off, his smile becoming faint. But he shakes it off a second later. "Anyway, do you mind if I call you 'Haruka'?"

Haru frowns. "Just 'Haru' is fine."

Tachibana blinks. "Haru…-san?"

"Just 'Haru'."

"Oh, okay! You can just call me 'Makoto' then!"

He doesn't listen from then on as a younger girl comes up to speak to Tachi- _Makoto_, instead wondering to himself about how he faltered when he spoke that name - 'Kisumi'. '_Was that one of his girlfriends? Maybe it went badly.'_

"Haru," Makoto says, bringing his attention back. He is holding out the blue phone. "I've keyed in my number and email address for you."

"Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." Makoto smiles once more before heading off, and it's only as an afterthought that Haru shouts after him.

"Go to practice!"

Makoto turns back and waves, but Haru can't help but think he won't be there today either.

'_It's the first time I've spoken properly to him, and he's even stranger than I thought. All of a sudden he wants to walk home together and asks to exchange numbers… Everything seems to be going too quickly.'_

He leaves the locker room and heads towards the club room, looking forward to diving into the blue, letting his problems fall into the back of his mind whilst he drifts.

In the club room, as he gets changed, he finds three thousand Yen in his pocket, and curses himself for letting himself be treated to lunch by this guy too. '_Stranger and stranger…'_

It's only once he steps outside that it strikes him.

"…_.Go out with me?"_

He couldn't have taken that seriously…right?

* * *

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	2. Tuesday

Makoto is awoken by the chirp of his phone, although it's not his usual alarm tone. It's a lively tone, a pop song he only knows through the one who programmed it to ring when he calls.

'_Ah, it must be Kisumi.'_

The phone stops ringing, its morning song cut off by time itself, having waited too long to be acknowledged properly. It's only then that Makoto reaches out from under the warm covers and picks up his phone. He slides it open and the notification stares back.

_One missed call from Shigino Kisumi._

* * *

"I like you."

They are sitting on the sofa, their homework forgotten completely. Kisumi is straddling his body. Makoto cannot remember how they got here, why Kisumi is on top of him, but his thoughts are silenced by Kisumi's statement.

Makoto frowns, trying to sit up. Kisumi doesn't let him. "Kisumi, you have a girlfriend."

Kisumi pouts, leaning forward. "What does that matter? I can break up with her, no big deal."

Makoto raises a hand and gently pushes Kisumi back. "Still, you shouldn't cheat on her like this."

"But you like me too, don't you?" Kisumi says, ignoring Makoto's efforts and moving towards his ear. He gives a final whisper. "Makoto?"

When Kisumi's lips hit Makoto's, this time, he doesn't argue.

* * *

Makoto keeps looking at the phone, watching the block text become blurry as his vision goes out of focus.

'_Kisumi is always such a free spirit, doing whatever he wants. Even after we split up, he still does this.'_

The pop tune erupts once more from the phone. This time, he answers.

"Hello?"

"Why didn't you answer the first time?"

Makoto laughs a little at Kisumi's insistence. Never even saying hello, he just jumps straight into conversation. "I was wondering why you would call me, especially at this time in the morning."

"What does that matter? Drive over here now, would you?"

"No." Makoto's eyebrows furrow, and he glances over to his clock.

"Why not?"

"Kisumi, it's seven AM? And besides, I was single yesterday, so it was okay, but today I'm taken. I'm not going to meet with you alone." '_Not after last time.'_

"This again?" Even through the phone, Kisumi's disbelief shows. "You'll just break up in a week anyway."

"Kisumi…" Makoto rests his head back against the pillow.

"What kind of a person is it this time?"

Sometimes Makoto can't believe how nosey Kisumi is. "Same school as me, same year, different class."

"Hm," Kisumi hums, and Makoto can imagine him playing with his hair. "Cute?"

Cute isn't exactly how he would describe Haru. "It's more like," he thinks of every time he's seen Haru - when the wind catches his hair, when he's in a daze, when he swims… - "beautiful, really."

"More beautiful than me?"

"It's difficult to compare you," Makoto says, trying to think of the two together. It would certainly be a odd pair, they both seem so different.

Kisumi laughs down the receiver - an airy, breathless laugh that reminds Makoto why he let him kiss him that one time. "That's very you, Makoto. Come round during the weekend?"

"You should probably sort things with your girlfriend, first."

"Fine, fine! See you later." He hangs up before Makoto can respond.

Makoto closes the phone and lets it fall beside him on the pillow. As much as he likes Kisumi, he can be a handful, especially when he wants a relationship. He wonders if he'll have gotten back together with his girlfriend by the end of the week.

'_No, no. I need to focus on _my _relationship. On Haru.'_

It honestly surprised him when Haru asked him out - not only because it was a guy asking another guy out, but also because Haru had never really seemed the type to be interested in relationships, despite being pretty popular. Anything could happen - they could get on well, or they could fall apart. No matter what, though, Makoto can't help but feel hopeful, even though he never ends up feeling anything for the other person by the end of the week. It's always the same - getting together, an emotionless relationship, an abrupt breakup on the seventh day, rinse and repeat.

'_Seven days to see what's in my heart.'_

He picks up his phone again, reckons it's a good time to send the usual message - a simple '_Good morning'_ to whoever his partner of the week is. Of course, the ideal situation would be to send it to the same person every week, but in this situation, he can't help it much. He presses send and the message enters the cyberspace, completely out of his hands.

The minutes pass, two turning into ten, and Makoto's starting to get worried. Did his wake-up text not serve its purpose? Or has Haru just ignored it? In any case, he decides to call him, just to make sure.

The dial tone ends with a click as the phone is picked up, but no words are spoken.

"Hello?" Makoto says, wondering if he's been given the wrong number.

"You interrupted my bath," a smooth voice answers, drifting pleasantly into his ear and making him sit up. Ah, it's the right number.

"Ah, sorry," he says. "I can call back later, if you'd like."

"It's fine, the water was cold anyway."

'_Just how long were you in the bath for?'_ Makoto wonders before saying, "Still, I feel kind of bad. How can I make it up to you?"

The line falls silent for long enough that Makoto has to check it's still connected, but then there's an answer.

"Makoto…"

"…yes?"

"Come to practice today."

Makoto blinks. "Club practice? Why?"

"Because you'll never improve if you never attend." He can hear Haru's disapproval clearly, even without seeing his face. It makes him laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'll go."

"Good." There's a finality to Haru's tone, so Makoto decides to end the call.

"I'll see you later then, Haru."

"Hm."

The line disconnects, and Makoto closes the phone. '_Does he usually care this much about people skipping practice?'_

* * *

Haru is changed and in the pool before Makoto even arrives to the club room. Even though it only takes him a few minutes to apologise and change, he can't help but feel that Haru is judging him for his tardiness as soon as he steps outside. Nonetheless, practice begins easily with stretches and a few laps of the pool to warm up, and Makoto gets back into the swing of things quickly.

"Good lap, Tachibana!" the captain says, patting him on the back.

Makoto nods in thanks before stepping out of the way and watching the other swimmers. As well as everyone can swim, though, his eyes naturally draw themselves to Haru, watching him glide through the water, elegant and at one with the water. It's almost as though he's a sea creature, like a dolphin, meant to be with the water at all times.

Once his 1000-metre lap is complete, Haru stops at the block and takes off his goggles. Makoto steps forward, offering a hand to him. "Good job, Haru."

Haru stares up at the hand for a second, his eyebrows furrowing a little, before he raises a hand and lets it slide into Makoto's grip, a link which pulls him out of the pool with seemingly no effort at all.

"You too," Haru says after they've parted hands, giving Makoto a small, almost invisible smile which makes the world slow down for a moment around them.

'_Ah, he looks beautiful like this, too,'_ Makoto thinks, and somehow he can't imagine a moment where Haru could ever _not_ look beautiful.

* * *

Somehow the two of them end up walking home together after practice, since their homes are in the same direction. When Haru asks why Makoto doesn't just walk on by himself, Makoto easily answers, "Because I want to walk you home, Haru."

The atmosphere around them is calm, punctuated only by the pace of their footsteps and the sea breeze which drifts through their nostrils, as well as the occasional conversation about whatever comes to mind. It's a nice way to spend time, and Makoto finds himself feeling at ease.

"Hey…" Haru starts, and Makoto looks over to him. "Are we…dating, right now?"

There's a small blush on Haru's cheeks, and Makoto can only blink in surprise at the question. Wasn't it obvious, after all? Haru _had_ been the one to ask him out in the first place. "Of course. That is, if you still want to…"

"I see." Haru then turns to look at him, sincerity evident in his eyes. "I'll do my best to enjoy it, then."

Makoto still can't help but wonder why he needed to ask, but before he can say anything, Haru is taking a turn where they should be walking straight ahead, and Makoto follows helplessly along, unsure of what is happening.

"Haru? Isn't it the other way?"

They continue to walk for a minute or so before Haru stops and turns back to Makoto. "Let's go on a date, Makoto."

His heart thumps in his chest, and the world freezes. "Huh…?" He doesn't understand where this is coming from all of a sudden, how the quiet and stoic Haru is suddenly taking control of the situation, even though a moment ago it seemed like he didn't know what the situation was himself.

"Unless you would prefer to do nothing this week, that is."

'_Ah, so it's about that,'_ Makoto realises, and wonders how he hadn't noticed it sooner. Haru is curious, only wants to go out with him because of the one-week rumour. "It's not really like that."

"Come on, then." Haru starts walking again.

'_This can't be happening, I can't let it happen. Even if I do fall for him, I'm sure it won't go as I want it to. I have to tell him - this isn't a game, so if I don't end it now-'_

"Makoto."

Makoto looks up and smiles at Haru. "Sorry, let's go."

* * *

Not too long later, they are at a small ramen bar in town, sitting at the bar, not speaking as they eat their ramen. The silence isn't stifling though - once again they are able to be together without speaking, and it ends up being comfortable. However, neither bring up a conversation until they have almost finished their ramen completely, and that's when Haru asks him.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh - yes, why?"

Haru looks back down at his ramen, stirring the noodles around the bowl with his chopsticks. "If you don't want to be here, we can forget it for today, if you want."

"Eh? Well, I guess I'm a bit troubled…" '_Why can't you be more determined about this?'_ "Do you not like it when people just go along with you?"

Haru blinks at him before shaking his head. "If we're not both enjoying ourselves, what's the point?"

"Well," he says, silently agreeing with Haru's feelings, "how about we go shopping, afterwards? We can go look at some music stores or sports stores, if you'd like."

"Okay." Haru nods and finishes his ramen without another word.

'_I don't know anything about him,'_ Makoto thinks, going back to his own meal. '_He's so stoic and quiet when he's swimming, so I would never have thought he could be so interesting, even if he doesn't talk much.'_ And besides that, he can't stop himself from taking sideways glances at Haru every now and then, either. This is different than he had expected - but it's nice.

* * *

After looking in various shops for a while, they go to the cinema. It's a smaller branch than the one in the nearby city, but it still shows relatively new films. He doesn't know which film they choose - an action film, or something - but he pays for the tickets and their drinks (much to Haru's chagrin) and they take two seats near the back of the cinema, which is almost deserted apart from them.

About halfway through the film, Haru's head falls upon his shoulder, his eyes closed and his breathing soft. Makoto stares down at him - his fringe, soft and delicate, which falls onto his eyelids; the changing light from the screen makes it look as though his hair is dancing across his face, although the dark strands have already come to rest. He wonders what images could be dancing through Haru's mind as he sleeps, unaware of the world around him except for the background noise and the warmth of his makeshift pillow. It's as he continues to look down that he notices Haru's cup, dangling at an unsteady angle, minutes away from plummeting to the floor, so he takes it, gently, from his limp fingers and deposits it into the nearest cup holder before sitting back and letting Haru's hair tickle his neck.

The images on the screen dance in front of his eyes, but he has forgotten the movements already, choosing instead to close his eyes and let sleep take the stage.


	3. Wednesday

The road to school past the sea is always quiet in the morning, since there aren't many people who live in Haru's area. This means for him that he can have some peace whilst walking by the sea, and that he doesn't need to think about other people until he gets to the main road, where more of his schoolmates join the trek uphill. Usually he just walks, looking out to the ocean and wishing he could swim in it, then deciding against it because he would be late for school again, and he'd never hear the end of it from Rin. Instead he lets the thoughts swim through his mind, pretends he is swimming too, and continues to walk.

Today, his phone breaks the calm. He doesn't usually carry it about with him, much less does he have it turned on, but after yesterday's morning call, he's decided he had better keep it with him in case another call comes.

It seems he was right.

He pulls the phone out of his pocket and slides it open, not bothering to check the caller ID before saying, "Hello?"

"Morning, Haru." Makoto's sleepy voice washes over him, a gentle tide lulling him into a state of calm. It takes him a moment to breathe, and another to reply.

"Morning."

"Where are you?" Makoto asks in the same voice. Haru replies a second later than he means to.

"Walking to school?"

"Yes, but whereabouts?"

Haru looks around himself, then recites the name from the nearest street sign to him.

"Ah, I thought you'd be around there." He sounds a little more awake now. Was he even really tired in the first place, or was that an act? "I'm by the store, a few minutes away. I'll see you in a bit."

He hangs up before Haru can respond.

'_What was that about?'_ Haru thinks, trying to recall what stores are nearby. '_And why did he say that?'_

His question is answered a few minutes later when he reaches a small corner shop, one that he sometimes buys water or ice cream in after practice on particularly hot days. Standing against the wall not too far from the entrance is Makoto, chatting amiably with two girls, also from their school, although the uniform is the only thing Haru recognises about them.

'_Ah, so that's what he meant.'_

Seeing Makoto with his fans, Haru can only think of his face and his popularity and how he's always skipping out on swim club, and that combined with how attached he's been to Haru so far this week gives the impression that he's wilful, arrogant and a busybody. That's how it looks, anyway.

Makoto looks up and smiles, a smile as natural as his tidal-wave sleepy-voice, which has a similar effect on Haru, not that he admits it.

One of the girls turns to him. "What? So Tachibana-senpai's been waiting for Nanase-senpai?" Her voice is a high-pitched soprano, like she's trying to sound angelic but it's coming out like a mouse.

"Morning," Haru says out of politeness.

"Good morning," Makoto replies, always polite.

The other girl's voice is less squeaky, more natural. "This is unusual - I thought Tachibana-senpai didn't show up much to the swimming club? You two must be good friends."

"You could say that," Makoto says breezily.

'_There are so many girls after him, I wonder what will happen next week,'_ Haru thinks as he looks at the trio.

"Oh, I see!" the less squeaky girl says before her mouse friend interrupts.

"How come you're not meeting this week's girlfriend then, Tachibana-senpai?"

"Ah, well…" Makoto starts, but Haru's tongue moves before his mind tells it to.

"He is."

The three look to him in surprise, a moment of silence, before the girls nod to themselves.

"Ah, you must be on your way to see her now," the less-squeaky girl deducts. Her friend nods in agreement. "Although I imagine it might be a bit stuffy, what with there being three of you…"

'_Well I was talking about me, but…'_ Haru thinks, looking towards Makoto, and as though he can tell exactly what he's thinking, Makoto smiles and gives a small shrug, telling Haru with his eyes, '_There's nothing we can do about it!'_

* * *

Haru counts on his fingers whilst his teacher drones on about literacy, or something like that.

'_A good morning text, a goodnight text, eating together, shopping together, watching a movie together (even though we fell asleep), and walking to school together.'_ Six fingers raised, he relaxes his hands. Is this what normal couples do? Or would a normal couple have done more by now? Held hands? Embraced? …Kissed?

He wonders if Makoto has ever actually went that far with one of his weekly "girlfriends". He wonders if Makoto has kissed any of them, or kissed many of them.

Then he realises.

"What?!" Rin cries out when Haru asks after class.

"So you don't know then?" Haru says, disappointed.

"It's my sister's love life, not mine!" His face is almost as red as his hair. "Why would I ask her if she kissed Tachibana?"

"Curiosity?"

"Ugh. This is why people feel let down by you. Such a waste… Why do you want to know, anyway?" His eyebrow (which is too well-sculpted to be natural, he's sure Rin gets them waxed) is arched, his eyes narrowed.

Haru swallows. "Curiosity."

Rin shakes his head, but answers anyway. "From what I've heard, he won't touch his girlfriends unless he really has to. Like, he'll do it if the world will end if he doesn't. He doesn't even hold their hands!" He looks out to the corridor, his eyes far away. "You might have seen it, but sometimes a girl will try to force themselves on him, to make it a reality. He never allows it, though."

Haru nods, his mind processing this new information.

"Ah, speak of the devil."

Makoto is leaning against the door, waving to him. '_What a busybody…'_

"Are you two friends now? I saw you at practice, yesterday," Rin says, "being hoisted out of the pool by him. And now he even comes to see you at breaks? You two must be close now."

"You could say that," Haru says, and he stands to join Makoto by the door.

* * *

The breeze on the roof is refreshing as they stand together at the edge, leaning over and watching the world turn around them.

"Sorry if I'm being a bother," Makoto says after a while. "Taking up your break times like this."

Haru looks to him, wonders where this insecurity has come from. Maybe its another one of his tactics. "Didn't I say I hate going along with people? If I didn't like it, I would say so."

"Really? I'm glad." Makoto smiles, just a small one but a genuine one all the same.

"I wish you would let me pay for once, though," Haru says, pointing to the juice box in his hand. He doesn't usually get a juice box, but before he knew it Makoto had bought two and was handing one to him. He couldn't refuse.

"It's nothing, really!" Makoto laughs. "It should be my treat, since we're dating."

Haru hums, not really agreeing. Then he hears girlish laughter and cringes. Makoto notices.

"You don't like girls?"

"It's not like that." He doesn't hate them, but their laughter can annoy him sometimes. The boys can be just as loud, though. "It's more…none of them see reality."

"Is that right?" Makoto looks out into the sky and smiles. "I think they're just unafraid to dream."

The silence between them is comfortable, allowing Haru to dissect Makoto's answer - '_But what about the consequences?'_ \- until he speaks once more.

"By the way, about after school today-"

"Practice."

"Yeah, I'll go to practice," Makoto says breathlessly. "But I was wondering if you'd want to hang out afterwards?"

"Sure." As long as Makoto's at practice, Haru doesn't mind staying together afterwards. As long as he gets to swim, first.

He looks up at Makoto, who's still looking out over the skyline, and takes the chance to look at him properly. His hair looks lighter in the sunlight, less brown and more golden, like strands of silk floating around his face. It's unkempt - a hairstyle suitable for such an unkempt person - but Haru has the feeling that it's soft, even though it looks spiky. His eyebrows are more natural than Rin's, although they have a genuine arch, like the symbol for _eight_, curved but friendly. His skin is quite tan, probably from being outside for so long, and it's because of this that Haru notices some darker spots across his nose and cheeks, and one a little bit further, near his eyebrow, almost hidden by his fringe.

'_That's weird, having a freckle - or is it a mole? - in such a place. It's not dust or something, is it?'_

Haru feels like he should get used to his body moving before he thinks about it, because it just keeps happening. He slowly raises a hand and brushes Makoto's fringe to the side, gently - but Makoto notices.

Of course Makoto notices.

"Huh?" he says, and Haru freezes.

"Uh," he pulls away, unsure of what to say, unsure of what he had been about to do. Makoto's looking at him in surprise and confusion, taken aback by the sudden action. They stand in silence.

The bell interrupts them.

"Oh, looks like it's time for class," Makoto says, the surprise gone and replaced with an _au-naturale_ smile, on the go for any occasion like this, Haru imagines. He makes an agreeing noise, momentarily remembering that he needs to move his stuff from one class to the other for this period, and that he left it in the last classroom, but before he can say anything about it, the door to the roof opens.

"Oi, Haru. Don't be an idiot, we need to get to class." Rin stands in the doorway, his books in hand.

"Ah," Haru moves from the wall. "Thanks, Rin." He turns to Makoto, gives him a small smile (which is not something he does often, but seeing as they've just had a weird moment, he supposes it will make up for it). "See you later, Makoto."

"See you, Haru," Makoto smiles. Once the door closes behind Rin and Haru, Makoto raises a hand, just as Haru did, and finds the place where he touched. '_Ah, what a weird place to have a mole…'_

* * *

After practice they find themselves on the platform near the shrine which stands not too far from Haru's house, overlooking the bay and giving a good view of the sunset. It's a quiet spot, possibly the best for viewing fireworks during the Obon festival. Haru catches himself thinking of watching fireworks with Makoto and ignores the thought. Obon is still a while away, and anything could happen between now and then.

The view of the bay shows couples walking along the shore, hand-in-hand, sometimes stopping to share a sweet kiss, then continuing their walk with their head on their partner's shoulder. Somehow Haru can't imagine himself as one of them, but at the same time he feels strange _not_ being one of them, even when he's got a boyfriend himself.

"This is a nice spot," Makoto comments, resting on the bar facing the beach. "I didn't know it was here!"

"I don't come here often," Haru says, breathing in the salted breeze. "It's not usually so busy, down on the beach."

"Hm," Makoto agrees. "Lots of couples. Although I guess we're one too, aren't we?"

"Hm."

Haru looks over to Makoto, sees the salt resting on his eyelashes. They're surprisingly long, for a guy, and light, too. They come together a few times, closing over the green beneath, a colour Haru can't quite tell the exact shade of, it's so complex. His eyes travel past the freckles and to the lips, perhaps chapped, perhaps soft. Definitely warm. Probably kissable. Not that he's thinking about kissing Makoto. Not after what Rin said earlier, "_He won't touch you unless he really has to."_

He tries to escape the feeling, lets his eyes wander back up to the eyelashes - they're sparkling now, whether from the sun against the salt or from something entirely different, he has no idea. Above them, the darker freckle - possibly a mole - is still there, in the same spot, beside his fringe. Then his eyes travel back to his, and they're looking at each other, Makoto looking confused but something else as well, something different that is unidentifiable in the green vortex - is that some brown, thrown in there? Gold? - of his eyes.

'_If I was a girl, this is when I'd close my eyes…'_ He feels his eyelids fall slightly, but doesn't close his eyes completely. '_How would Makoto react, though?'_

Makoto's eyelids drop a little, in a way that Haru thinks should probably be illegal, because his eyes look too good, too tempting, and now he's getting closer, and Makoto's hand is cradling Haru's face with a feather-light touch, as though Haru is a cat, with the potential to be spooked at any time, and then Makoto's eyes are closed, and Haru wonders how this is possibly happening, how he is possibly-

And then all thoughts are gone, because that feather-light touch has transferred from his hand to his lips, and their breaths ghost over each other as their lips touch for the slightest of seconds.

And then it's all over. They're standing a metre apart, blushing, showing no reaction to what just happened, perhaps trying to rewrite what just happened, trying to make it so that it never happened, and Haru realises that he has fallen for a trick, that Rin might have been lying to him, that this might be another one of Makoto's tactics and he has fallen for it.

So he mumbles something about having to leave and jogs back down the beach, back up the shrine steps and into his house, but somehow he knows that the breathlessness he feels is not because of his running.


	4. Thursday

At precisely seven AM Makoto's alarm clock wakes him from his slumber, but for once instead of turning it off and getting up obediently, he slams the button to silence it, lies back down and hides away from the world. He doesn't want to get up today, doesn't want to get up for the rest of the week, not if it means seeing-

He curls in on himself.

It's happening again. Just like last time, he keeps misreading Haru, doing one thing when Haru meant another. Just like last time, he's a self-fulfilled prophecy, casting doom upon himself by showing too much emotion, misreading the situation and showing affection he would have otherwise covered up. Why is he even feeling this affection, anyway? That's his first problem - caring too much.

Five minutes later, his alarm goes off for a second time, and this time he gets up, goes through his morning routine until he's in front of the bathroom mirror, and all he can think is, '_My face looks weird today. What's with this expression?'_

* * *

Half an hour passes and he's outside the store again, waiting for Haru when he'd rather not, because what will Haru act like? Will he believe whatever fake expression Makoto wears, or will he see right through it? He hasn't felt like this in a long time, because the jeopardy is that Haru might act differently today, might hate him after what happened yesterday, and in that case, even being friends is-

"Morning."

Makoto looks up to see Haru standing before him, schoolbag slung over his shoulder. He plasters on his usual smile, says, "Good morning."

Haru's eyebrows furrow, as though he's concentrating on something. "What's with the expression?"

Makoto feels his smile fall off, revealing the surprise he feels. He quickly reapplies it. "What expression? Does my face look strange?"

Haru stares at him, his blue eyes locking into Makoto's green ones, and it feels as though Haru can see right through him, as though his paper face is made of plastic. But Haru doesn't press any further. "It doesn't matter." He starts to walk on ahead.

Makoto blinks himself out of his daze. He then jogs to catch up to Haru, all the while wondering if Haru is purposefully avoiding the subject of last night.

* * *

At lunchtime, Haru yawns.

It isn't often that Haru yawns - he's usually good for sleeping early, rising early, and never feeling tired in between - at least, not until the evening.

Just to make sure, Makoto asks, "Are you sleepy, Haru?"

Haru hums in agreement, or perhaps in dissent, but Makoto can see that he is.

"Why don't you take a nap? There's still a while until the end of lunch."

Haru looks away, mumbles something about having fallen asleep during the movie, too.

"I don't mind, honestly."

Haru looks up at Makoto, who smiles, wanting more than anything for Haru to catch up on any sleep he needs - that's more important than conversation, surely.

Seconds later, Haru's head is on Makoto's lap, and that's really not what Makoto expected Haru to use as a pillow for his nap.

"H-Haru!" he protests.

"It's all muscle," Haru says quietly, making himself comfortable with no care for how embarrassed Makoto feels.

"I _am_ an athlete…" Makoto says, leaning his head back against the wall. He knows his face is red, and it's not really a surprise, considering he has a boy lying with his head on his lap. Really not surprising.

A few minutes pass in silence, and Makoto is almost used to the weight of Haru's head on his left thigh before Haru talks again.

"Do you know someone called Matsuoka Kou?"

Makoto remembers her well. "Ah, yes. We dated once." Red hair, fiery willpower. She looks a lot like her brother, the one who gave Haru his books yesterday.

"Do you still see her?"

Makoto sighs. "I don't stay in contact with anyone I've dated."

Haru looks surprised. "Some of them call you, don't they?"

"I don't know." It's the honest truth. "I don't answer calls from unknown numbers."

Haru sits up suddenly, looks at Makoto with his eyebrows low over his eyes. "You delete them?"

He can see Haru judging him, so he tries to make his answer clear. "Could you stand it if the person you were dating kept getting calls from someone you didn't know?"

Haru looks down, and Makoto can see he understands, but then he says, "The same will happen next week, right?"

The unspoken words hang between their eyes. '_You'll delete my number, too?'_

Makoto can't find the words to answer, so he tries to tell Haru through his eyes. '_It's not exactly up to me.'_

Haru looks down, mumbles, "Well, it's not like it's real, anyway."

Makoto doesn't know what to make of it.

Then his phone rings, that one poppy tune, and he knows exactly who it is.

"Ah, excuse me a second." He presses the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Makoto, help me! She's such a jerk, she's still mad at me, even though I called to make it up to her! What should I do?"

He can hear the drama in Kisumi's voice. He sighs. "Did you apologise properly?"

"Why should I do that?! You're on her side, aren't you!"

"That's not exactly - Kisumi, you cheated on her!" Makoto can't believe he's having this conversation _again_.

(Meanwhile, it clicks for Haru - "_A lot of my friends have unusual names, Kisumi too…"_ \- and he remembers thinking Kisumi could have been one of Makoto's exes, one who it could have ended badly with… and yet, he still has his number in his phone… Is this Kisumi special to him?)

"That's not my fault!" Kisumi says, and Makoto's had enough.

"Sorry, Kisumi, I'm-"

Before Makoto can say anymore, Haru has taken the phone from him, one swipe which ends the call effectively. He pushes a few buttons, closes the phone, gives it back to Makoto, stands up.

"So you can just delete the numbers of all the girls who like you like it was nothing, but you still have _his_ number, the one you like? Is that fair?"

Makoto looks up at Haru - he's never seen him so angry, although he can't see much of his face because of the light, but it's in his voice, he can tell that Haru is _angry_, and he has no idea why.

"Why are you so angry?" Makoto asks, then wonders if that was the wrong thing to say.

"Why?" Haru says, scoffs a little. "Because I'm the one who's dating you right now!" His voice cracks a little. He quietens. "Why shouldn't I be angry?"

Haru walks off, leaving Makoto in the dust, his words in the air, and Makoto still isn't sure what just happened.

His phone rings again.

He answers it. Hears a sob.

"Are you crying?" A moment of silence. "Why don't you just forgive her? She's only cheated on you once, a year ago. Haven't you had your revenge?"

Kisumi sniffs. "It doesn't have anything to do with how much. It's all the same."

"It's because you love her more than anything, Kisumi," Makoto says, smiling. "I kind of envy him, being so important to you."

Kisumi laughs. "You must be a masochist."

Makoto laughs, doesn't deny it, even though he doesn't consider himself to be one.

"Makoto?" Kisumi says, quietly. "I love you."

Makoto's smile fades, his heart breaking a little. "Yeah, I love you too. But Kisumi, I'm not going to answer your calls anymore. Just like how you always put your girlfriend first, I also have someone more important than you. Someone I love from the depths of my heart."

* * *

Kisumi lies with his head on the table, his phone, recently discarded, a few inches away.

"What was that attitude for?" he asks himself.

He remembers the conversation, Makoto's words - _someone more important than you_.

Footsteps. He looks around, and somehow he understands what Makoto was saying.

"Hey," his girlfriend says, and he smiles, truly smiles.

"_Someone I love from the depths of my heart."_

* * *

Throughout practice, Haru is quiet, but even so they walk home as usual afterwords. It's silent at first, but then Haru speaks.

"I'm sorry about lunch," he says, eyes down. "I didn't need to get mad like that."

"I don't think you need to apologise," Makoto says, recalling how happy he felt once the words finally sunk in an hour later. He leans over to Haru's ear, something he wouldn't usually do, and whispers, "I think I'm the type who likes being tied down."

He stands up straight again - Haru's blushing, eyes wide and on his, but before anything happens, a girl from their school appears.

"What's this?" she says, smirking. "What are you two whispering about? I want to know!"

Haru glances up at him, then looks to the girl and points back at Makoto. "He's a masochist."

The girl looks as surprised as Makoto feels. "Eh?"

A few minutes later, after trying to clear things up with the girl, the two of them continue their walk.

"What should I do if there are rumours about me now, Haru?" Makoto whines, but Haru ignores him and stops, looking into a florist's window. Red and white roses are sat around the door, ten of each.

"Those roses," Haru says. "If you were to make a bouquet of any ten roses, which would you make?"

"Ten roses?" Makoto asks, then wonders if Haru's trying to tell him something.

Haru nods.

Makoto nods back, then walks into the shop. A minute later, he returns with a bouquet of ten fresh white roses, which he gives to a stunned Haru.

(What he doesn't know is that Haru was testing him. Red roses symbolise sadism, romance and love. White roses symbolise masochism, marriage and spirituality. Makoto chose all white roses, so he is a masochist. Or so the game goes. Haru had not been expecting a bouquet of roses for himself, which are now in a vase in his living room. Not that he likes them.)

* * *

As usual, Haru draws himself a bath after dinner, sinks in gratefully into the warm water, lets it seep into his pores and warm his body through. He's always believed that water has healing properties, ever since he first joined a swim club when he was four. The relaxation he feels is proof of this, definitely.

After his sleepless night last night, he feels tired enough that he knows after this bath he'll fall straight asleep, probably without even drying his hair. He doesn't care, he won't catch a cold. All he wants right now is to relax in the bath.

Then his phone rings.

He brought his mobile into the bathroom knowing somehow that Makoto would call, and he even set it to full volume so he could hear it. Its default ringtone blasts away, annoying him enough to make him dry his hands on a nearby towel and answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Haru! I thought you wouldn't have heard your phone for a second," Makoto says, his voice cheery and wide-awake.

"I heard it," he says, although it's obvious he did. He elaborates. "I brought it with me before I got in the bath."

"Ah, I-" Makoto's voice cuts off. Silence. Haru wonders if the line got cut off - he checks, and it's still connected. He puts the phone back to his ear. Still silence.

"Makoto?" he says, wondering if he should just put the phone down. "Makoto?"

"So-sorry!"

Haru has no idea what is going on. "What for? Makoto?"

The line gets cut off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Makoto has his head in his hands, is boycotting his phone, which he has put down after that disaster of a conversation. '_This is terrible! I'm so terrible! I'm such a pervert, oh my god! Calling him when he's in the bath, and then imagining that- no, stop thinking about it!'_

Haru must think he's such a weirdo now, hanging up on him out of nowhere like that. He doesn't even know why Makoto called in the first place, although he can't possibly phone back now, not after that, and not while Haru's still-

'_Don't think about it!'_

He breathes deeply, exhales, breathes again. Sighs. How is he going to face him tomorrow? He doesn't want it to be weird, never wants it to be weird, but he wants to see him, definitely…

'_I want to see him soon…'_

* * *

Haru shrugs and puts his phone back, sinking into his bath, still wondering what that phone call was about. He doesn't really care, though - he can find out tomorrow. He wouldn't usually admit it to himself, but each day, he finds himself wanting to see Makoto more. He opens his eyes underwater, looks up at the distorted ceiling.

* * *

At the same time, they both have the same thought.

'_See you tomorrow.'_


	5. Friday

Haru stifles a yawn with his hand as he approaches the corner store, somehow still tired after a bath and a full night's sleep. He blinks, feeling how heavy his eyelids are. Maybe he can take a nap first period and the teacher won't notice.

"Haru!" Makoto calls whilst waving. Haru hadn't realised he was so close to the store already. He could have sworn Makoto was another ten metres away, at least.

"Ah, good morning."

As usual, there are two girls flanking Makoto, probably having cornered him as soon as he arrived. '_Every morning we're always surrounded by girls. I guess it doesn't really matter, but… Come to think of it, we didn't see these girls yesterday.'_

"Good morning," Makoto says. His smile looks a little strained.

'_That's right - he was acting strangely yesterday too, like he was hiding something. At least, that's the impression I get. If I had to guess what's been troubling him, the thing that comes to mind is…'_

* * *

_Kisumi_.

The characters are written on his notebook (at least, he thinks this is the right kanji, but he can't be sure - it really is an unusual name), separate from his class notes but still there, still inked into the page.

'…_this person. Judging by how his number's still in Makoto's phone, there's surely a connection…'_

A moment later the name is gone, replaced by a mess of ink. He tries to get the thought out of his head. Whoever Kisumi is, it isn't his problem.

(Unless he's hurting Makoto. Then it's a problem.)

The bell rings, ending the class. The teacher says something about revising over the weekend, but nobody is listening, preferring to chat between themselves about whatever comes to mind. It's always this way.

Haru stays silent, but his brain is the opposite. '_Ah, what is this? Why am I so bothered?'_

"Yo, Nanase!" The voice cuts into his thoughts, and he turns to face Rin. "What's with the expression?"

"What expression?" he says, turning away again. If this is just a chance to joke around, Haru isn't in the mood.

Rin sighs, probably in exasperation. "Seeing as you're in such a bad mood, I have something for you."

Haru turns around, suspicious. That can't mean anything good.

"Aw, don't look so scary!" Rin laughs. "Seriously, though. Are you free next weekend?"

He hadn't expected that. "Oh. I guess so. Why?"

"It's just that when I helped my sister out the other day, she gave me something, but it's no use to me, so you can have it." He pulls some papers out of his pocket and passes them to Haru. The papers turn out to be tickets with the words _SPECIAL MOVIE PREVIEW PASS_ written on each. Printed beneath in smaller ink are details about the venue, dates and times.

"They're only valid for next weekend, but you can ask whoever you want to go with you."

"For me?" Haru finally says, still staring at the tickets. He can't believe Rin is actually giving those to him - he's still waiting for him to laugh, to take away the passes and tell him it's all a joke, but it never happens.

"Yup. It's free too," Rin says, and Haru is glad he leaves off his usual joke ("_Cause you only like free, right?"_) because he'd rather not have to punch him today.

(Not that he'd usually punch Rin. He can be annoying, but he's a good friend.)

Haru can feel himself smiling and tries to hold it in, because he knows exactly who he wants to take to see this and he can't wait to ask them later. He looks up at Rin. "Thank you, Rin."

Rin's eyebrows shoot up, then he asks, "Do you have a girlfriend or something?"

Haru blinks. "Huh? Why?"

"I just had a feeling, just now, like you already have someone to invite." Rin must see something on Haru's face, a reaction to that statement (because it was definitely true), because he grins as though he's just caught his prey. "So I was right then?"

Haru looks away, feels warmth on his cheeks. "Shut up."

Rin laughs, but doesn't press the issue any further.

* * *

Today for art Haru's class are drawing outside, doing landscape drawings of the school near the sports field. Haru had forgotten, but Makoto has PE now, and is on the field, warming up for the pole vault.

Haru finds himself next to the fence, watching Makoto chat to his classmates, having finished stretching. He looks happy, even doing sports on land. But Makoto's probably suited to any sports, really, what with a body like that.

One of his friends points over to Haru, and Makoto's eyes widen. He says something to his friend before jogging over with a smile.

"Is it really okay to come over here?" Haru asks once Makoto's in front of him.

"Yeah," Makoto answers, breathless. "We're going according to the register, so we can move around whilst waiting for our turn." He looks down, noticing Haru's sketchpad. "Ah, you're taking art?"

Haru nods, flips to his latest drawing and turns to show Makoto it. It's an advertisement for the swim club with a single member standing on a rock, kickboard under his arm, whilst the water splashes around him.

"Oh, wow!" Makoto breathes, barely blinking as he studies the drawing. "You're really good!"

"Not really," Haru says as he puts the sketchpad away. He's seen much better drawings, and this isn't even one of his better ones, anyway. As he puts it under his arm, he sees his classmates on the embankment, looking down at them and giggling before sketching something. "Are they sketching you?"

"Oh?" Makoto says. He looks up at the girls and then shrugs. "Maybe."

Without either confirmation or denial, Haru assumes they are and lets the subject drop. "Ah, I wanted to ask you…" He takes the movie passes out of his pocket and shows them to Makoto. "Do you want to go?"

"Special movie preview pass…" Makoto reads, squinting at the paper. "You and…I?"

"If you want," Haru says, wondering if perhaps this was a bad idea. "It's next weekend, I think."

"Next weekend?" Makoto asks, looking pained now.

At first, Haru wonders if he got a sudden pain in his stomach or something, but then he realises. By the time next weekend is here, they won't be together anymore, will they?

"Ah- I-"

"Tachibana! It's your turn soon!" Makoto's friend calls, breaking Haru off.

"Coming," Makoto says, then turns back to Haru. "Can we talk about this later?"

Haru nods, head buzzing as Makoto returns to his classmates. Ah, he really shouldn't have brought it up, after all.

"What was that all about?" Rin says from behind him, taking him by surprise. How long has he been there? "That didn't look like a normal conversation between classmates - you were way too close! Do you want to become the enemy of the female cohort?" He jerks a finger towards the girls on the hill.

"It was nothing," Haru says, walking up the hill and leaving Rin behind. He catches up easily.

"I know what you're like, so I suppose it probably was nothing."

The girls stare at them as they sit down on the embankment with a bird's-eye view of the playing field. Makoto is about to take his turn. He grasps the vaulting pole with a strong grip, eyeing the bar with trepidation.

'_He shouldn't be worried, he'll easily make it over.'_

"Aah~ I just want to eat him up!" the girl beside Rin says, cooing over the muscled-boy's physique.

"Saying it like that sounds indecent," Rin says, grinning. "Or like you're a cannibal."

The girl pouts. "I'm not that crude! I definitely plan on trying hard next week, though. Maybe he'll pick me."

Makoto runs forward, takes his jump. He twists in the air and clears the bar, then lands on the mattress with a soft thud. Haru fiddles with the passes in his pocket. He knows what he has to do.

* * *

On their way home from school, Haru stops at the bay, overlooking the sea.

Makoto walks a few paces forward before stopping and turning back. "Haru?"

In one movement, the tickets are out of Haru's pocket and being thrust at Makoto. For what feels like an eternity, time freezes, and then-

"Huh?" Makoto looks puzzled, but it's no wonder, since Haru's just giving him the tickets out of nowhere.

"…For you. Go with whoever you're with next week."

Makoto's eyebrows fall over his eyes. "What?"

Haru feels a surge of bitterness surge through him and can't stop himself from saying, "Unless you plan on inviting Kisumi, since you still like him so much."

Makoto doesn't take the tickets, instead choosing to stare into Haru's soul as though trying to dissect him. "Why are you saying that? These kinds of things? What happened to yesterday? You said you were the one who's dating me right now, where did that go? I…I felt so happy, when you said that." He balls his hands into fists, puts his head down. He looks like a child who hasn't had his way, or a dog that's just been kicked.

Haru's chest pangs, a metal spoon against worn heartstrings. He's only known Makoto for five days, and yet…'_Why do I feel like just going over there and holding him in a tight embrace?'_

"Why is it so difficult?" Makoto's voice is quiet, hiding from the storm that is Haru's words. "Liking someone is really too complicated."

The metal spoon is replaced with an ice pick, stabbing those same heartstrings that seconds ago had been twanging. '_He really likes him, doesn't he?'_ He lowers his hand, pocketing the tickets. "You don't know how to judge people."

Makoto looks up at him, surprised. He goes on.

"If the girls in school ever heard about this, they'd be devastated." Because who wouldn't be devastated to find out that the boy you like is in love with someone else?

Makoto blinks, then shakes his head slowly. "Haru, do people ever tell you that you're really slow?"

The ice pick drives deeper into his heart. Here it comes, the conversation that always comes at the end. He looks away, staying silent.

"Your face seems so stoic and beautiful," Makoto starts, "but really, Haru's stubborn and careless. You don't really think before doing things."

'_He's perceptive. I've already been told this, so many times…'_

"You're also very straightforward. You tend to move your mouth before you realise what you're saying."

'_But I can't help it, can I? It's how I am.'_

"You're also very forgetful, because you don't think things through properly."

'_Your personality…'_

"Your personality…"

'_Makes me feel disappointed.'_

"I think, is very likeable."

Haru looks up, eyes wide and mind blank except for that one unexpected word. '_Likeable…?'_

"It's you, Haru." Makoto's smile is the most beautiful and true it's ever been in front of Haru, so much that he wishes it could be kept and stored away for tough times.

"I…" Haru starts, then he tries to think of words before saying them. "I've been told a lot that I'm disappointing. A prodigy with a disappointing personality. They always say I'm a waste of a 'pretty face'. This is the first time I've ever been told that I'm okay like this." Haru looks at Makoto, tries to convey all of his emotion in three words: "Thank you, Makoto."

Makoto's eyes light up - no, he was wrong, _this_ is the most beautiful and true smile he's seen from Makoto, it has to be, because that smile is so bright it will probably keep his brain awake all night. A moment passes, and Makoto laughs. "Haru…you're as slow as ever."

Before Haru can reply, a voice comes from behind him - a girl, probably from their school, who apparently lives around here.

"Na-Nanase-senpai!" she says. "I…could I talk to you for a second?"

Haru feels a little irritated, wants to tell her no, but instead turns to Makoto. "You can go on without me if you like."

"I'll wait here for you." Makoto's entire expression is firm, and Haru knows he will wait there, no matter what.

"Okay. I'll be right back." Haru then follows the girl so they are out of earshot of Makoto.

The girl starts talking, but Haru tunes out, knowing what the girl is saying, and knowing what his response will be. Instead he thinks about what just happened.

'_I can't get his face out of my mind. And what's with him, saying I'm slow… I should hurry back, who knows what will happen otherwise - unless he meant… No, I shouldn't be thinking of him right now, I need to focus.'_

The girl has finished speaking, so Haru asks, "What's your name?"

"Hanamura Chigusa," she says, and Haru nods.

"Hanamura-san, what is it you like about me?" He wouldn't usually ask these questions, but today he must.

"Well, I, when I watch you sometimes, when you swim, you look really beautiful, and you give off such an air of perfection- I think you're my ideal person!"

"I'm sorry," Haru says, not needing to hear any more. This girl is like the others. "I'll definitely disappoint you. And besides…I'm already seeing someone, and they say I'm okay as I am."

Hanamura's eyes widen, and then she nods before apologising and leaving.

Haru returns to Makoto whilst feeling a distinct air of unease settle. Now he's left to wonder, what was that before all about?

"Where do you live?" Haru asks all of a sudden.

"Ah, not too far away, why?" Makoto says.

"I'm walking you home today."

"Eh?" Makoto looks surprised, possibly unhappy that their little routine is being unsettled.

Haru doesn't say another word - instead he gestures for Makoto to lead the way, and they continue to walk along the sea coast.

* * *

What Haru hadn't expected from Makoto's house was that they would be next-door-neighbours and not even realise.

That being said, Makoto had to have known, so why didn't he tell him?

"I guess we just leave our houses at different times," Makoto says, as though he hasn't walked Haru home a few times before.

They walk up his garden path towards the house, a small house built the same way as the others on this hill, but with an equally small garden in the front, where several flowers have been planted. Makoto is taller than the doorframe, but Haru doesn't get to see Makoto crouch to get through it, because it opens before either of them reach for the handle.

"Makoto! Welcome home!" A pink-haired teenager, about the same age as them, comes out of the door, flanked on both sides by a small child, who both latch on to Makoto as soon as they can. The children look more related to Makoto than the guy - '_Is it one of Makoto's old friends?'_ Haru wonders before the stranger's attention is fixed on him.

"What a pretty kid!" the stranger says, eyes lit up. "Your face is so cute! How old are you? What's your name?"

Haru steps back a little, wanting nothing more than to be far away from this overbearing person. Luckily, Makoto stops him from going any further.

"You're troubling Haru, Kisumi."

Haru freezes. '_This is the guy…Kisumi…'_

"Isn't it fine?" Kisumi asks, as though every person he meets puts up with his behaviour easily. He looks back to Haru. "Haru, huh? That's a nice name!"

Venom coats Haru's throat - he's sure he won't be able to speak to this guy without spitting it on him.

Suddenly there's a hand in his face, almost touching him. "What beautiful skin-"

Makoto takes Kisumi's wrist and pulls it away from Haru's face. "Don't do that, seriously."

"Eh?"

Haru watches the exchange and wishes he wasn't watching it, wishes he was somewhere else because '_he still likes him so much that he won't let him touch me?'_

"So this is the 'classmate who is beautiful rather than cute', right? More than me-"

Makoto covers Kisumi's mouth with his hand, not letting him say any more. He's blushing, but Haru doesn't notice, too focused on his hand and Kisumi's mouth.

He steps back. They look at him.

"What…the hell… Damn it." Haru backs away completely, leaves Makoto's garden and starts running up the steps, except he's already past his house and he's still going up, probably all the way to the shrine, or maybe not, just wherever his feet take him because right now, he honestly doesn't care.

He hears footsteps behind him, a voice telling him to wait, and he yells back, "Don't come after me!"

He stops at the very top step, out of breath. Makoto stops a few steps below him.

"Didn't I say not to come after me?"

"What's wrong, Ha-"

Haru doesn't want to hear his voice. "Shut up! Just…" He looks down, hands balled up against his trousers.

Makoto's voice is calm, a gentle wave in the storm of the situation. "Just tell me what you're angry at, Haru."

But Haru's mind is racing too fast now. '_At what… Rin said seven days is long enough for a dream, but for me, right now…'_

He forgets he's on the top step when he goes to step backwards.

"Haru, watch out!"

He falls before he can react.

It's as though the world is going in slow motion as he crashes down, except the impact isn't as hard as he would imagine - it's softer, warmer. Luckily this part of the steps is small, with a platform only a few steps below the top, because that's where they land, Makoto having broken Haru's fall with his own body. The warmth that comes from Makoto's body behind him comes with the realisation-

'_Seven days were long enough to fall in love.'_

Haru gets off of Makoto and kneels beside him as soon as he realises what happened, blushing with his heart beating faster than it had when he was running.

"Ah, that was close," Makoto says, sitting up with a groan.

"Are you okay?" Haru asks, grabbing his arm to help him.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? That was close."

"I'm fine," Haru says, still holding Makoto's arm. Except he can't help but feel, inside, '_I'm not okay.'_ "Today, what day is it?"

"Huh?" Makoto says with furrowed eyebrows. "Haru, you haven't got a concussion, have you? It's Friday."

Haru hasn't got a concussion, knows it's Friday, but he had to check. Because in reality, the day of the week is a countdown. '_Just two more days.'_


	6. Saturday

Makoto leaves school on Saturday after a weekend study session feeling no more enlightened about algebra than he had been yesterday in class. In fact, he only feels disappointed - not because he doesn't understand how to use the quadratic equation, but instead that he missed swim club for nothing. It's funny for him, because before he met Haru, he wouldn't have cared about missing club practice for study, but now he wishes he had been at the pool instead, cheering on his teammates and offering a hand to Haru as he completed another lap of freestyle.

Okay, the main reason he's disappointed is because he didn't get to see Haru because he missed practice. He even finds himself scrolling directly to Haru's name in his contacts without meaning to before he hears a voice.

"Good work today, Tachibana-kun!" It's one of his classmates, a girl who also happens to be in the swim club.

"Ah, you too, Yazaki-san." Makoto smiles at her, not minding the conversation. He's talked to her before in class and at the club, and she seems like a nice person.

"I wonder if there will be any time left to go to practice?" She puts a finger to her chin.

"Practice has surely finished by now, right?" He can't help the tinge of disappointment which eases into his words.

"Ah, it's too bad." She sighs, then turns to look at him. "I didn't expect you to be disappointed, but I guess you have been properly showing up to practice recently! What changed?"

'_I got a boyfriend,'_ he thinks, but instead he says. "It started when I was told I'd be scolded if I don't go to practice, but now I really enjoy it." It's not necessarily lying, per say.

"Eh? By who, the teacher?" She looks puzzled, but then she shrugs it off. "Whatever, want to go for lunch?"

The same feeling that always comes to him when this happens arrives, and his eyes become apologetic. "Ah, I'm sorry. I'm already meeting someone."

Yazaki's eyes widen. "Ah, of course! The rumoured weekly girlfriend?"

'_Weekly is…' _Will he ever be able to get rid of that reputation?

"So if I wait until the day after tomorrow, it'd be fine, right?" She looks so hopeful, and yet Makoto can't help but wonder, '_What makes you think I'll say yes if I haven't got a partner?'_

Instead of answering, Makoto looks down, then changes the subject. "Ah, sorry, can I make a phone call?"

"Ah, o-of course!"

He wonders for a second if he's frightened Yazaki, or put her off him. '_All the better, really. Don't get her hopes up.'_ He selects the contact that's been highlighted for five minutes now and presses the call button, but before he can even get the phone to his ear, he hears a familiar ringtone just around the corner. He apologises to her and follows the sound, right around the corner until he almost bumps into-

"Haru!"

Haru looks up at him from his phone, which he had been about to answer before Makoto came round the corner. "Ah, hello."

Makoto ends the call on his phone. "I thought we were meeting at the pool?"

"Practice ended early," he says, "so I kinda ended up waiting here."

'_Kinda ended up here, he says…That's cute.'_ After yesterday, Haru acted pretty weirdly on the way back, but he was the one who wanted to meet up today. He really can't understand Haru at all, can he?

"Ah!" Yazaki has rounded the corner now, and is standing beside them. "I see! You were meeting with Nanase-san! Sorry, forget what I just said then!" She turns to Haru, awe in her eyes. "Good work today. I can't wait to work alongside you in tomorrow's practice!"

Haru gives her an appreciative nod, but doesn't verbally reply.

The girl turns back to Makoto. "And you too, Tachibana-kun!"

"Of course!" Makoto says. "The same to you as well, Yazaki-san."

Their conversation continues with small talk between Makoto and Yazaki whilst Haru stands on the edge, clutching his phone and wishing Yazaki would just go away so he could be with Makoto alone. They keep talking as though they're best friends, when they barely even know each other. Should they be acting so friendly to each other in that circumstance?

Makoto glances over to Haru and blinks, eyes wide. He then turns back to Yazaki.

"Ah, we'd better go now. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Yazaki says, surprised but still smiling. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Bye!"

They wave until Yazaki is out of sight, and even then there is another minute of silence until Haru speaks.

"What was the 'forget it' just then?"

"Eh?" Makoto's completely forgotten most of the conversation by now - but he can't remember saying anything like that.

"Yazaki asked you to forget something." Haru looks impatient, and Makoto wonders if this is really important. Still, he answers.

"Ah, she asked if we could have lunch together. I obviously turned her down, though."

Haru shrugs and starts walking away. "Don't cheat on me," he calls back, continuing as though expecting Makoto just to follow despite his surprise at hearing such a phrase from such a stoic mouth.

But Makoto can't move, because he's too busy smiling and blushing with a blurry mind because Haru just implied he doesn't like it when Makoto accepts dates from other girls which implies that he thinks their relationship is _real_ and he doesn't know how to react-

"Makoto?" Haru says, stopping once he realises Makoto isn't following him.

Makoto looks up and his smile grows as he walks towards Haru. "I'm happy. I've said before that I'm the type that likes to be tied down. 'Don't cheat', he said~" He hums to himself, ignoring Haru's blush, then stops as he reaches the point right beside Haru. He leans in to his ear and whispers, "Say it again?"

Haru's blush increases tenfold and he looks away (although it hides nothing because the redness is almost at his ears, Makoto's sure). He mumbles something under his breath, but Makoto can't make it out.

"Pardon?"

"You…" Haru looks up, but keeps his eyes off of Makoto. "You are such a masochist and an airhead." He says it a little louder, with a face that easily shows his distaste at being asked to say such a thing.

Makoto laughs and they start to walk together to the cafe, a routine which feels so natural even after only one week that Makoto can't imagine not having Haru next to him.

Of course, it'll all change tomorrow, but he doesn't want to imagine that.

* * *

Their lunch goes down well (just a couple of sandwiches from a simple cafe not too far from the school) and the two sit for a while after, cradling warm drinks and talking about whatever comes to mind, firstly being their plans for the afternoon.

"Do you want to come to my house?" Makoto offers, but Haru shakes his head. Makoto knows exactly why. "I don't think Kisumi will be there today." He still doesn't really know why Kisumi was there yesterday. Maybe he just wanted to see the twins? Maybe Hayato was round playing with them - although he didn't see him at all, but Kisumi had left by the time he returned home.

"No," Haru says, and Makoto knows there's no chance of persuading him.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he offers. "I didn't know he'd be there, or else I would have told him not to be so…"

"It doesn't matter." Haru looks away, uninterested. Although the look in his eyes - there's something there, maybe pain? No, it couldn't be… Before Makoto can decide, Haru speaks again. "Want to come over?"

"Ah?" Makoto honestly hadn't expected that, but that doesn't mean he's going to refuse. "Okay."

* * *

They decide to rent a DVD for the night, except when Makoto offers to pay, Haru's already got his wallet out, giving Makoto time to think as he thinks about the movie passes. '_Go with whoever you're with next week, he says…not with someone else? Why with a girlfriend? I-'_

"Makoto." Makoto looks up to see Haru looking at him in worry, having already payed for the DVD. "Is it the money? I don't mind."

"No, it's fine! It's nothing." Makoto waves it off, but knows inside that he is lying and dislikes that he has to. '_Why is it that I have no idea how to invite him? It's so complicated.'_

* * *

Haru's house is just up the hill from Makoto's, so he's already seen the outside of it countless times - it looks almost the same as any other on their hill, just a normal Japanese family home. The inside, is also a typical Japanese home, except it's quiet. A large, quiet house filled with furniture that's never used. It's lonely - how can Haru possibly live here all alone?

They take off their shoes at the door and Haru shows him into the house, going through to the living room, where the television set is kept. It's an average-sized room with a table in the centre, a couple of cupboards and a small table at the side holding a picture and some incense.

"That's the shrine," Haru says, noticing Makoto's gaze. "For my grandmother."

"Oh," Makoto says, kneeling before it. The woman in the photo is wearing a traditional outfit, smiling in a way that looks so familiar, even though Makoto's never met Haru's grandmother. Then he realises - she has the same blue eyes, the same smile, the same face as Haru. "She's beautiful." He looks over to Haru and smiles. "You really look a lot like her."

Haru blinks and looks away. "Are you saying my grandmother's your type?"

"Eh?!"

"You once said you like my face, or something."

Makoto can't believe what he's hearing - did he actually say something like that?! "Ah, sorry for saying something so embarrassing!"

"I usually don't like people saying they like my face," Haru says, and Makoto feels even worse.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't even remember saying it. Besides," he looks over to the shrine and smiles softly, looking so radiant and alike to the picture in that moment that Makoto wishes he could take a photo of it, "my grandmother is beautiful."

Makoto can't look away, because he can't believe a person could possibly be so beautiful as Haru is right now. He wonders absently if this is how Haru's grandfather felt about his wife. '_Ahhh, I really like this person…and that was so cheesy oh my god.'_

Not long after they settle by the table to watch the film, except eventually Makoto feels like he's about to fall asleep, and Haru doesn't look much more awake.

"Aren't you bored?" Haru asks, taking his blank eyes away from the screen.

"You're the one who wanted to watch this film no matter what," Makoto says, sighing. "But you're right, I'm bored."

Haru says something under his breath with an annoyed expression, then suddenly he's on the phone. "Give me back my rental fee." That's all that is said before he puts the phone down and lays it on the table before sitting back again, looking just as annoyed as before.

"Who did you just call?!" Makoto asks, imagining a helpless store employee shrugging as their manager asks them why someone just asked for a refund over the phone before putting it down.

But Haru corrects him. "Rin."

His phone buzzes and he checks it, scoffs then shows it to Makoto. He squints a little at the small text.

_[don't tell me you actually borrowed the DVD I told you about yesterday.]_

"You were fooled?" Makoto says.

Haru nods. "It keeps happening."

"Did something else happen?"

Haru doesn't answer, instead burying his head in his arms on the table. Everything is quiet except from the TV in the background, except neither of them are paying attention to it anymore, because there's already a consensus that the film isn't very good and neither of them want to watch it. Instead, Makoto decides to wonder why Haru's having such a reaction. Something must have happened, right?

"Haru?"

"'M tired." Haru says, words muffled by his arms.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Makoto asks, knowing that Haru's been quite tired over the past few days, presumably for that reason.

Haru shakes his head, sitting up again.

"What were you doing?" Makoto asks.

"Thinking." Haru turns around then, eyes boring into Makoto's and Makoto knows he isn't done yet, that whatever's coming next is important. "About you."

Makoto's world stops for a moment as the words echo in his brain. His breathing is failing him, he doesn't know what to say, what to do-

But Haru does, because he moves closer until they're sitting side-by-side, so close that Haru can reach up and touch the mole above his eye, which he does with the gentlest touch, fairy-dust on his skin, almost unable to be felt, except for the warmth which pulses from it.

"I'm seriously thickheaded," Haru says, moving his eyes from the mole to Makoto's, drawing his fingers down Makoto's cheekbone until his hand cradles Makoto's face, just like Makoto's had on Wednesday. And just like that day, they move together until their lips touch, and then they're kissing, warmth erupting in each of their faces, their hearts, and they keep their lips together for a few seconds before parting, gazing each other in the eye. They both want this, they both love this, love each other, they can't deny how they feel, so they lean in again and kiss for a second time, this time more heated, with more touches and contact and with the urge to feel each other as strongly as possible because they need this so much right now and-

The phone rings. They part, breathing heavily but not moving apart.

Haru is the first to break eye contact, the first to move away. "You should answer your phone."

"Yeah," Makoto says. He opens his phone and looks at the ID - unavailable. He closes his phone.

Haru furrows his eyebrows. "Aren't you going to answer it?"

"It's from an unknown number."

Haru nods and sits back. Makoto looks down, not sure what to do, but then he notices something on the ground - '_It must have fallen out of Haru's pocket when we…'_ \- it's the movie passes.

He picks them up. Haru notices, following the tickets with his eyes but not saying anything.

"Haru, next week…" he swallows. "I want to go with you to this."

Haru looks at him, his face unreadable, then asks, "As classmates?"

Makoto frowns, not knowing what to say - isn't it obvious by now that he wants something more? - but Haru doesn't seem to understand.

He stands up, turns off the TV and takes the DVD out of the player. "I'm going to return this."

Makoto stands. "I'll go with-"

"I'll go alone," Haru says. He leaves the house without looking him in the eye.

Sitting back down, Makoto sighs. '_Every time I get my hopes up, they get returned. He isn't playing with me, surely…'_

* * *

Over the next hour, Makoto tries multiple times to phone Haru, but not a single time does it connect. Haru probably turned off his phone, right? Or maybe he's not got any signal. Still, Makoto can't help but worry about him.

'_Even if I go look for him, I'm alone in his house right now. I can't leave it unlocked!'_

He stands again, deciding to look around for a key. He shouldn't poke around someone else's house, but he needs to find Haru, and he doesn't want to leave his house unlocked.

He tries the usual places first - under the doormat, in the small cupboard in the kitchen - and he finally finds the key above the back door on the ledge, hidden away from any prying eyes. He takes it and locks both the doors as he leaves the house, mentally apologising to Haru as he walks down the shrine steps. He pulls out his phone. '_I'll try one more time.'_

It connects the first time. After only two rings, the phone is picked up, though nobody speaks at first. All that can be heard is the sound of the sea and Makoto's footsteps.

"Haru's always saying I'm a masochist," he starts, just saying what he's been thinking about for the past hour, "so much that I've come to think it myself."

Haru laughs a little, and Makoto finds himself smiling too.

"Where are you?"

Haru ignores the question. "Were you like that to everyone?" There's a pause. "I find it odd that you break up with people so easily after a week. It's absurd. But I also wondered why no girl you broke up with ever spoke badly of you."

Makoto reaches the beach and turns in the direction of the staircase. He knows where Haru is.

"I think I've got it. You make the person you're with feel good, and you're really comfortable to be with."

Makoto feels like he's been told this before; he's been told that he's easy to understand. So he says, "I'm so easy to understand."

Haru hums.

"Even so," Makoto makes himself sound a little scolding, "you left me so suddenly."

"I was annoyed."

"Annoyed?"

"That I can't even stand little things, and my head overreacts."

Makoto climbs the stairs one by one, syllable by syllable, each word bringing him closer to Haru, until they are facing each other, no need for phones any longer. They hang up.

"I get annoyed at myself," Haru says, looking Makoto in the eyes. "But I wondered about what I should do."

"About what?"

"Like 'but', or 'only if', or 'afterwards'. It kind of messed my head up."

'_What are you saying?'_ Makoto wonders.

"I've got it. I'm not used to these kinds of things."

'_Somewhere inside, I thought, even if next week comes it would work out. I know Haru's number, it's not like it'll all turn to nothing, right?'_

"Give me the movie passes."

Makoto takes the crumpled pieces of paper from his pocket, puts them in Haru's outstretched hand as asked. Haru looks at them for a second before ripping them into pieces.

'_It would be fine if I just worked to get closer, little by little, again… But…'_

"The tickets aren't needed any more," Haru says before he walks past Makoto, making his way down the steps. Makoto doesn't stop him. "See you tomorrow."

The sea breeze is the only thing between them as they go their separate ways for the night, both wondering what the next day will bring for them.


	7. Sunday

The silence between Haru and Makoto as they walk to practice on Sunday afternoon is unusual - it's not comfortable as it has been for the past week, but rather it is stifling; They both have something they want to say, a knowledge of what will happen if they don't say it, but neither makes a move to do so. Instead they keep their feelings inside. What else can they do?

Naturally, Haru dives into the swimming pool as soon as possible, making a streamline through the water and letting it take his thoughts away. Even though his heart is full and his mind is troubled, he is still able to swim as well as ever. He lets his love for the water show in the way he swims, because the water is helping him to forget everything else for a short while.

He doesn't see Makoto enter the water - rather, he feels it, feels a strong presence push through the waves. Makoto's presence is warm, an unobtrusive sign that he is there, even though they're not directly side-by-side. Usually his stroke is strong and powerful, a dominant presence taking over the water. Today, though, it's not steady or domineering. Makoto uses all of his might to push through the waves, as though he is running away from something, as though the water is lava and all he wants is to get out of it.

This isn't how he usually swims.

Haru reaches the end of the lane and stands. As predicted, Makoto is thrashing through the water, a reckless backstroke that raises water high above the water's surface. His peers watch him, whispering between themselves and wondering why his swimming has become so reckless. Haru ignores them. He climbs out of his lane and stands in front of Makoto's ready to offer him a hand when he reaches the end of his lap.

"Good work," he says to the panting Makoto.

Makoto looks up, eyes wide, but then he smiles. He takes Haru's hand. "Ah, you too."

* * *

The smell of deodorant fills the changing room along with the chatter of swimmers changing back into their usual clothes. The girls, due to being few in numbers, get changed in the bathroom whilst the boys have full use of the changing rooms. However, the boys do not hesitate in gossipping just as much as they expect the girls to (in reality, probably more so).

"Did you see Tachibana's stroke today? What was up with that?"

"I don't know, maybe he had a fight with someone?"

Haru knows they know both he and Makoto can hear them, so why are they still gossipping about it? It's not as though it's some great disaster that Makoto's had an off day. Besides, he'll surely learn why he swam like that when he talks to Makoto later, once everyone else has left. Speaking of which-

"Who's in charge of the key today?" he asks, and the room quietens.

"Ah, that would be me," a boy in the corner says, raising his hand.

"I'll take the key, I need to stay back for a while."

The boy looks at him with furrowed brows, then shrugs and throws the key in a perfect arc into Haru's outstretched hand. "I'll leave it to you, then."

His distraction gives the boys another topic to chat about, but he doesn't care. He takes his time getting changed, allowing the team members to trickle out the door until only he and Makoto, who waits for him as usual without questioning why he wants to stay back, are left in the locker room. He zips up his jacket and turns to face Makoto, who smiles at him - the same smile as earlier, a little duller than usual.

"What happened today?" Haru says before Makoto can open his mouth. "You were all over the place."

Makoto's face falls, and Haru almost wishes he hadn't said anything. "Ah…I'm sorry."

Haru looks down. '_This feels like I'm lecturing him.'_ He tries not to look up as he says under his breath, "I'm worried."

It's almost five o'clock. Haru wonders if perhaps it's happening already - was he the one to instigate this? Is this what he really wants? To face this head on?

"I should be all over the place," Makoto says, his voice completely serious. "You swam so beautifully, just as always. Your form never worsened, it stayed as perfect as ever. But I- My head was full of other things. Not swimming."

Haru looks up. "Did something happen with Kisumi?"

Makoto looks alarmed. "Eh? Why are you bringing him up?"

'_Was I wrong? Is he annoyed? Perhaps he thinks I'm not even good enough to utter his name?'_

"Haru." Makoto's voice breaks his thoughts, and he meets Makoto's eyes once more. "When have I ever thought about Kisumi when I'm with you?"

Haru doesn't move. What does he mean by that? Isn't Kisumi the one he loves? Does this happen with all of his girlfriends, or is this a new experience for him?

Makoto picks up his bag and slings it over his shoulder. "We'd better leave now, it's getting late. Besides, there's something I want to tell you properly."

Ah, so this is it then. Haru nods and takes up his own bag, and they leave the locker room behind them.

* * *

The walk to the platform near the Misagozaki shrine is as silent as the walk this morning, but this time there is an air of resolve between them. This time, they will speak their feelings. They won't hold them in any longer.

But Haru can't help but wonder… '_Is he always this formal when he breaks up with someone? Now I think about it, a week ago today, I barely knew him at all.'_

They stop in front of the barrier.

"Haru," Makoto says, turning to face him. "Tomorrow, and every day after that too, I want to continue going home together with you. I want to go out with you sometimes, even just once in a while-"

"That's troublesome." Haru looks away. He needs this to end on his terms. "I won't compromise with you."

Makoto frowns. "Then yesterday too, you meant the same thing…"

"What time does this end? This week?" Haru looks up to Makoto's eyes again. They are filled with a pain Haru doesn't ever want to see in them. Do they look like this every week?

"At whatever time you like," Makoto says, not meeting his eyes.

Haru looks at his watch. It's a few minutes before half past five. "Half past five?"

Makoto nods, not bothering to check the time. He must know that it's right now. It ends here.

Haru takes a breath. One minute to go. "'I couldn't fall in love with you. Let's break up.'"

Silence.

The hands on his watch land on half-past and Haru gives a small smile. He's free. Now it's time. "I'm glad you didn't say that to me, Makoto." Makoto doesn't answer, so he goes on. "Go out with me?"

Green eyes shoot up to meet blue ones, blown wide with shock at the unexpected words. "Eh? But you said…"

"I love you, Makoto," Haru says, letting his emotions shine through as much as possible. "I don't want to go back to 'acquaintances' next week."

"Haru…" Makoto's true smile returns, lighting up his entire face in a way which seems unreal to Haru. How can this guy be any more beautiful?

Just before Haru can say anything else, Makoto steps forward and embraces Haru, his warmth enveloping him in a way the water has never done. The water feels like an embrace, sure, but this is a homecoming.

Makoto leans back, his smile never wavering. "Haru, I love you too. I love you so much."

'_But what about Kisumi?'_ Haru wants to ask, but at the same time doesn't, because the answer could be anything, and he isn't sure he wants to hear it.

"Don't worry, Haru," Makoto says, reading his mind. "I never loved Kisumi as much as I love you. I love you more than anyone."

Haru feels his cheeks heat up, but he pays them no mind. His heart feels like it's floating, this moment is so surreal to him that he can't believe it's actually happening, and yet it is. He throws his inhibitions to the wind for just a moment and lets a smile grace his face, stretching his lips in a way that feels so natural, even though it's not something he doesn't do often.

Makoto's eyes widen, then he's smiling again, wearing a heartfelt expression, and then he's leaning forward, and Haru's leaning upward.

Then they're kissing, and Haru knows there's nowhere else he'd rather be right now.

* * *

Haru's phone goes off when he's in the bath. It's a text, so Haru doesn't mind drying his hands on a nearby towel to check what it says.

_[If you don't get out of the bath soon, you'll be late to school!__]_

Haru smiles and types back.

_[Thanks. See you soon.]_

Once again, a new week begins, walking together in the sea breeze.

.

.

.

* * *

Epilogue

The days pass in a blur of kisses and dates, with the addition of swimming and schoolwork, of course. Being third years though, when March arrives, so does their graduation day. Graduation day is the time for the third years to take commemoration photos and to leave messages for each other, time to bid their farewells and to promise to keep in touch. It's the end of high school, but it's also the beginning of something else, something bigger.

"Tachibana-kun, Nanase-san!"

Only a few seconds after saying goodbye to a first year who wanted a picture with them, Yazaki from the swim club calls out to Makoto and Haru. It's been like this all day - an endless slew of photographs and goodbyes. She meets them with a smile.

"Hi, Yazaki-san," Makoto says. Haru nods to her in greeting.

"I can't believe we're graduating already!" Yazaki says, eyes wide. She wears her white flower proudly on her blazer. "It feels like yesterday that we were first years."

"It does!" Makoto laughs, and Haru can't help but think,'You didn't even go to this school in first year.' "What do you plan on doing next?"

"Ah, I'm going to train to be a lifeguard, I think." She looks a little unsure, but they're all unsure about their futures, so it's nothing unusual. "What about you two?"

"We're going to Tokyo," Makoto answers for the both of them. "I'm studying to teach kids to swim, and Haru's going to swim professionally."

"Ah, that's just like the two of you! I'm glad you're continuing swimming."

There isn't really anything else Haru would have chosen for himself. He loves swimming, it's his passion - why not go professional and continue swimming for the rest of his life? Still, he's glad Makoto's going to be by his side in Tokyo. He couldn't wish for anything better than staying with Makoto for even just a while longer.

They spend a few more minutes talking before they part, Yazaki to meet some friends and the boys to an abandoned stairwell for a moment of privacy within the madness of graduation day.

* * *

"Oh, there's one last picture I need to take," Makoto says after flicking through the photos on his digital camera. He has enough photo paper left for one more, the one he's been saving it for, so he needs to take it before he forgets. He puts the camera back onto camera mode and turns it so the lens faces them. "And it's natural to take it with a handsome guy, isn't it?"

Haru rolls his eyes and moves closer to Makoto so he's in the picture. Without even thinking, their free hands are intertwined within a moment of them sitting closer together.

"Ready?" Makoto looks over to Haru, who nods, then looks back to the camera. "Smile!"

* * *

"Have you seen Tachibana-kun anywhere?" a student asks her friends, twiddling her thumbs in anxiety. "I wanted to exchange email addresses, but I can't get hold of him at all."

One of her friends shakes her head. "Apparently everyone's tried, but it seems impossible. He doesn't want to make the person he's dating feel bad, so he just says 'sorry'."

"No way, what's with that?"

"I know, right? Frustratingly cool!"

Their laughter carries over to the window of the classroom, where Matsuoka Gou leans on the sill, looking out over the courtyard.

One of the girls says, "There's only one week until we graduate for real, isn't there? Why would they still want to date him?"

Another sighs. "Ah, one week…there was something like that, wasn't there? It feels so long ago, it brings back memories~"

Their conversation ends there, but Gou doesn't hear what they talk about next, too deep in thought to listen carefully.

"Ah, Gou."

A voice behind her takes her out of those thoughts. She turns around. "Onii-chan?"

"What's with the vacant expression?" Rin asks, smiling. "Is it because your senpais are graduating?"

Gou smiles back, but shakes her head. "I just remembered that I…had a special week too."

She isn't envious though, not of whoever is dating Tachibana now. No, she's happy that she got the chance to experience something like that as well.

* * *

Later, after they've printed the picture, Makoto and Haru sit back on the stairwell, flipping through all of the pictures that they took. Their one is the last they come across - one where they're both in the frame, both wearing their graduation flowers, both smiling as below the frame, their hands connect, invisible to everyone but themselves. Haru takes the picture when Makoto hands it to him, examining it for a second before pulling out a pen and writing on the blank space at the bottom.

Makoto looks over his shoulder. "What are you writing?"

Haru just smiles and lets Makoto see the words.

"Ah- shouldn't I be saying that to you?" Makoto says with a chuckle.

Haru gives a little laugh as well before looking up at his boyfriend. Ah, he really got lucky, didn't he? Makoto's eyes shine with happiness, his face brimming with joy and love and Haru can't wait to spend another year with him, or even four years.

At the same time as Makoto leans down, Haru leans up, and their lips connect in a kiss in the privacy of the stairwell. Now abandoned in Haru's lap, the picture of them remains a memory of their first year together, and a promise of more to come.

"Please treat me kindly from here on too."

END

* * *

Hi guys! Just a quick note to say thank you all so much for your support and reviews throughout this fic! It's been such an experience, and I loved writing it, so I hope you've all enjoyed reading it just as much!

~Random (links to my Twitter and Tumblrs are on my profile!)


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